After our short stay in Paracas, we headed inland to the desert oasis of Huacachina. Based on our research, this place exists for two purposes – 1. playing in the sand dunes on buggies and sandboards and 2. partying. While we weren’t particularly interested in number 2., the videos we had seen of the dune buggy rides looked like fun, so we were looking forward to an overnight stay here.

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Arriving in Huacachina

We were delayed leaving Paracas because the bus we were joining was caught in some heavy traffic in Lima. After a short ride to Huacachina we hustled to check in to our hotel then grabbed a quick lunch, rushing to make it to our dune buggy ride.

As we checked in to our hotel, we could see one of the massive dunes that surround Huacachina. People were already climbing the dune to get ready to view the sunset.

A Wild Ride

After our rushed lunch, we headed for the meeting point for our buggy ride. This involved trudging up a sand dune, which was hard work. Eventually we made it to our waiting 10-seater dune buggy. There were so many buggies lined up waiting the place had a bit of a “Mad Max” vibe.

Soon we were in the buggy with seatbelts fastened, and ready to go. We set off and quickly got up to speed. The driver wasted no time in flinging the buggy over some steep drops at some interesting angles. It was like a noisy roller coaster ride. There were lots of buggies out on the dunes, but somehow the drivers all managed to avoid each other.

After a while, we stopped for a photo op (and to let our pulses reduce to a normal rate).

We then moved on to the location for our next activity, which also had an amazing view over the dunes, as well as a very photogenic dune with windblown patterns undisturbed by buggy tires.

Sandboarding

We pulled up at the edge of a steep drop and the driver unloaded a stash of sandboards. After waxing them up, he handed them out and we all took turns sliding down the slope.

When we were all at the bottom of the slope (even those of us who had made noises about just watching the sandboarding and not actually participating), the driver drove the buggy down to meet us. We all piled into the buggy and drove to the next location which was an even steeper hill.

After we all survived hill number two, the process repeated and we faced our ultimate test, an even steeper slope. I managed to plant a foot and direct a spray of sand into my face on the way down, but everyone else managed the descent without incident.

Sunset

After our sandboarding adventures, it was time to head to our sunset spot. We made it just in time to watch the sun set behind the dunes

As the sun dropped beneath the dunes the temperature also dropped, and it was time to head back to the small oasis village.

With the lights of Huacachina in sight it was time to tip the driver and trudge back down the dune to find some dinner. After a hearty meal in a very touristy restaurant with a very friendly host, we headed back to the hotel to shower off all the sand which had collected on our bodies throughout the afternoon’s activities. With the sand at least mostly gone, we made it to bed at a reasonable hour to get some sleep before an early start the next morning to catch a shuttle bus to take us to the flight we had booked to see the mysterious Nazca Lines.

Where to Stay in Huacachina

The accommodation options in Huacahina skew towards the backpacker party crowd, but there are other family-friendly alternatives. We stayed at the Hostal Curasi, and would recommend it. It’s far enough away from the party hostels that noise isn’t an issue.

There really isn’t any reason to stay longer than one night in Huacachina unless you’re keen for a multi-day backpacker party experience, or you’re a serious competitive sandboarder. However, we enjoyed our overnight stay in this desert oasis and the buggy ride and sandboarding was a lot of fun.